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Attention, Fashion Junkies: How to Land a Fashion Industry Job

Whether you’re in Los Angeles or New York City, or in one of the thousands of small towns in between, fashion jobs are a hot commodity. With more people wanting to break into the fashion industry, it’s more important than ever to set yourself apart from the other fashion junkies out there during your job search.

Elle recently offered fashion job seekers some pretty concrete career advice, straight from industry movers and shakers. Here’s what they had to say:

If you want to be a fashion exec:

Network, network, network. Go to as many fashion events as possible, take every business card you can, and make sure you understand as many aspects of the industry as possible.

If you want to be a fashion designer:

Remember that fashion is a business. Aka, don’t expect summer vacations and lots of lazy Sundays. Being a designer is a lot of hard work.

And, according to Rachel Roy, the cover letter is key. Says the high-profile designer, “I’m looking for experience on a résumé, but also a true interest in the industry. I read cover letters. That’s your opportunity to tell me your story, so I can look past just the words on a résumé and see who you are as a person. I’ve interviewed people who have had little experience, but a truly great story on their cover letter.”

If you want to be a fashion show producer:

Take the unpaid internship. Correction: take many of them.

If you want to be a fashion editor:

Don’t just know fashion. Educate yourself on the history of music, movies and politics so that you can understand the true relevance of the today’s fashion. In other words, be a modern-day Renaissance man (or woman) like legendary editor Diana Vreeland.

If you want to be a fashion publicist:

Be passionate about the job you’re applying for. Don’t say you want to work in PR; if that’s the case, then go for PR! To snag a competitive, high-pressure position like a fashion publicist, passion is key.

And job seeker, this tip applies across the board. In your interview, make sure your employer knows exactly why you want the particular job you’re vying for. No one wants to hire someone unenthusiastic and apathetic toward their work, especially in an industry like fashion, where people are lining up around the block for an entry-level gig.

Want more job-seeking advice? Write In Color will help you get prepared to land your dream job, whether it’s in fashion or finance. We offer comprehensive resume services, cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile overhauls and coaching sessions to help you feel comfortable talking about your work history in your job interview. With clients in fields such as fashion, entertainment, law, media and tech, we know what it takes to make you appealing to an employer at any stage in your career.